"wrldruler" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello,

My wife and I bought our first home a year ago. The front yard is very
dull.

When I was growing up, I was the neighborhood garden boy. But I never
gained much experience designing -- I just planted things wherever the
neighbor wanted them.

So I want to improve the front yard with some basic landscaping, but
don't have the time or energy thinking and researching about which
plants and which materials. I know I want "a red wall that goes like
this and some bay grass stuff that goes like that, and something blue
over there". But's that's all I got.

I am considering hiring a professional designer -- but that depends on
the price. I would be interested in just purchasing a design, and
maybe a materials list. But I would want to do the work myself,
perhaps over the next few years depending on how things go.

Anybody know a ballpark figure of what a basic landscape design costs?
I know the answer is "it depends", but I am hoping to get some
ballparks to see if I am barking up the right tree.

For the basics, and for starters, there are several self help landscape
design books on the market, even Lowes and Home Depot have them. You can
get the basics by drawing a plat of your property, and using the books for
ideas and suggestions, work your way through it. Using this method you can
control what comes and goes according to you and your wife's ideas.

If that wont do it, landscape designers come and go, every where. Get one
with references, and check them.